I decited to start training for a marathon, and i set a time limit for trainig. I want to do this in a year. So the first thing i did was go of running. I do about 12 km in an hour now. But it doesn't seem to be good for your body to just go on and run every day. It needs rest to recover. So i wonder if someone knows a good training scedule. I stick to once in two days now but heard that thrice a week is a good amount of training, although it seems a little not enough to me. thom

Well if you want to get very complicated the serious runners train maybe 5 or 6 days a week. They usually have one long slow run a week. One speed day, and one middle distance pretty hard run then 2 or 3 easy runs.

If you have a whole year until the event you should definitely make a training schedule for the whole time and stick to it. There are a number of ways to do this, one which I've tried myself is Joel Friel's self coaching scheme (as presented in his training bible book series). The key is periodisation, that is don't train the same way all the time and add resting weeks every fourth or fifth week where you don't stop exercising but keep it down and let the body recover. Start up with buidling core strengths while slowly adding intensity, do this for roughly the first half of the year. The second half should have more intensity, and more specialised exercises like intervals, fartleks etc. One very important key to this is to keep the resting days or weeks sacred, they are very important for you to get better and to build strength.

Unfortunately, I've only done used this while biking, so I don't have any examples of exercises for running, but the basic idea is the same. Periodisation, let the body rest, and slowly build up intensity.

There should be some training schedules on www.runnersworld.co.ukYou've got a year though, so take it very gradually and don't try and increase your mileage by more than 10% a week, otherwise you just risk injury.

Try a protien shake if it is protien you are after. Are you in the UK? If so, I recommend Holland and Barretts soya protien isolate, with soya milk, and maybe a banana swirled in. Or maybe if you just need energy, try fruit juice (tropical fruit juice perhaps) with a little bit of glucose in it.

Or bloody hell, why not just eat a banana or two?

Don't worry. If you listen to your body you will stay good and strong. Anyone who doesn't eat the menstrual waste of some poor chicken is doing pretty well.

ha haa never heard that one ... no of course no eggs !! bleh
but protien shakes uhm never found them here in holland besides those shakes wich pumps you up ...uhm no good either i like banana`s though but it `ll take at least 6 to temper my need of food after hahahaaa

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[quote="thom"]I know i should get lots of carbs. what when i just finished a run (I'm always hungry shortly after i cooled down).

Carbs are definatly good. As you train endurance, your muscles learn to hold more glycogen (energy for high-intensity musclular work). Muscle glycogen ranges from 1 to 4 grams per 100 grams of muscle tissue. 1 gram if you don't do anything, up to 4 grams if you are active in endurance activities (like running ). Glycogen comes from complex carbs and if you don't get enough, your muscles won't learn to store more.

When you are hungry afterwards, it's good to get carbs as well as protein . This is also why it's good to carbo load before working out too. But protein is good to rebuild the muscle tissues afterwards.

Also, like Mary said, listen to your body. You often need what you crave (well, unless the craving is psycological instead of physiological . . .).

Here is a great free marathon training schedule and an accompanying 9-part video course http://runnersconnect.net/marathon-training-schedule/. What I liked about this plan over others is that the training plan is customizable to your race date and has exact times based on your fitness and goals. Plus, the video guide really helped explain the philosophy and answers a lot of questions I had. Had me feeling very confident in the plan.